Yesterday, I learned not only about the existence of National Compliment Day but also about the fact that it is today ! With this in mind, Dove are challenging women to learn how to give and receive compliments with pride, as currently 38% of London women feel embarrassed when accepting a compliment. Can you believe (I can !) that one in five (21.83%) women don’t even remember the last time they were given a compliment that made them feel beautiful? Dove hope to restore the art of giving a compliment into the lives of British women and spread the word by using the #MyBeautifulSelf hashtag. Go on, make someone's day by giving them a compliment (and not just today either !).
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WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR LONDON WOMEN TO TAKE A COMPLIMENT?
On National Compliment Day, Dove challenges local women to give and receive compliments with pride
A third (38%) of London women are embarrassed and 31% feel awkward when they receive a compliment. That’s why on January 24th - National Compliment Day - Dove is calling on women to make a pledge to themselves to recognise and see their own beauty – and stop counteracting every compliment with a negative comment!
When it comes to giving, it’s a different story, with 84% of London women believing it is important to pay someone a compliment, with 47% giving them to female friends to make them feel good about themselves. What’s more, women say it boosts their own self-esteem when they give compliments to others, with 43% stating ‘I feel better about myself’ after saying kind words to others and 19% saying it made their day.
Receiving a compliment, however, isn’t the pleasurable experience it should be. One in five (23%) women from London feel uncomfortable when complimented, preferring to give praise as opposed to receiving it. Sadly, a fifth of us (23%) don’t believe what is being said with one in ten (14%) stating they are ‘in denial’ after being complimented. A tenth (12%) of women can’t even remember the last time they were given a compliment that made them feel beautiful.
Interestingly, women in London would rather be complimented by a stranger (19%) than their friends (13%) or children (3%). Our partners came out tops as being the person we would most like to hear positive comments from (34%).
Judi James, Body Language and Social Behaviour expert, says: “Compliments should make us feel amazing about ourselves, but body confidence can be so low amongst UK women that we’re left feeling embarrassed and awkward. From admiring a clothing choice to appreciating an achievement, compliments can come in all shapes and sizes. Instead of feeling embarrassed, hold your head up high and smile. We need to start believing when good things are said about us – this is essential to develop a positive relationship with beauty.”
Top tips to accept a compliment
Judi James is partnering with Dove to help UK women accept compliments more easily:
1. Enjoy your compliments! Complimenting someone is known as ‘verbal stroking’. Done well and delivered with confidence and you can almost hear the recipient purr
2. Work on the skill of receiving a compliment. The technique is simple: use eye contact on the person paying it, wearing an ‘eye smile’ (i.e. a warm eye expression to show approval and acceptance of their sentiments), then allow your smile to extend to your mouth. Use a confident body posture to look relaxed, with shoulders rolled back and down and no self-hugging
3. Avoid knocking the compliment back. It has been offered because someone wants to let you know how great you are. Accept the praise, look at the person paying it, smile and say ‘thank you’
4. A compliment should raise the confidence of both the person getting it and the one paying it. It’s not the easiest dialogue; we are often more comfortable moaning or criticising. But the positive effects of your words plus the contagious positivity created should encourage you to pay more compliments on a regular basis
5. When it comes to complimenting others, they need to be honest and spontaneous to work
Dove is calling for women to see beauty as a source of confidence, not anxiety. Get involved by sending a compliment to a friend, colleague or complete stranger on Friday 24th January using #MyBeautifulSelf.
Visit selfesteem.dove.co.uk for more information.
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im surprised at some of those stats, I thought more people would enjoy a compliment
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